This invention relates generally to a wire bundle routing assembly for routing and at least partially enclosing and sealing a wire bundle or harness between a vehicle door frame and a passenger compartment side of a vehicle door body adjacent hinges pivotally supporting the door on the door frame.
Wire bundle routing assemblies are used to rout and at least partially enclose and seal a portion of a wire bundle or wiring harness that must extend between a vehicle door frame and a passenger compartment side of a vehicle door body via a front wall of the vehicle door body adjacent hinges pivotally supporting the door on the door frame. A wire bundle routing assembly of this type may include a door frame connector, a door mounting base, and a tubular bellows that connects the door frame connector to the door mounting base and flexibly encloses a portion of the wire bundle that extends between the door frame connector and a through-hole in the door mounting base. The door frame connector electrically connects one end of the wire bundle to a complementary connector receptacle supported on a vehicle door frame. The door mounting base is supported on the front wall of the door body and routes the wiring bundle to the passenger compartment side of the vehicle door body where the wires of the bundle may then be routed to various door-mounted accessories.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,748B2 issued 12 Nov. 2002 to Mori discloses a wire bundle routing assembly of this type. A front panel of the door mounting base is slidably receivable in a slot formed in a front wall of a door body. A side panel of the door mounting base is disposed generally perpendicular to the front panel. Front and side wire bundle through-holes are formed through the respective front and side panels. A tubular bellows connects a door frame connector of the assembly and an outer side of the door mounting base in coaxial alignment with the front wire bundle through-hole and supports a portion of a wire bundle. From the tubular bellows the wire bundle extends through the front wire bundle through-hole and a door mounting base passage that routs the wire bundle through the side wire bundle through-hole. The wire bundle routing assembly disclosed in the Mori patent also includes a recess formed into and around a periphery of the door mounting base to slidably receive door front wall edges that define the slot formed in the front wall of the door body to receive the assembly.
Also, whatever's shown in photos 3 and 4, discloses another wiring bundle routing assembly similar to that disclosed in the Mori patent, but including a door mounting base cover that connects over an inner side of the door mounting base by aligning five locking tabs with five locking tab receiving holes in the cover. The cover encloses and holds a portion of the wire bundle against the inner side of the door mounting base. Also, a rubber seal strip is supported on the inner side of the door mounting base and is shaped to align with edges of the cover when the cover is installed, to prevent moisture from passing between the door mounting base and the cover. The cover sandwiches the rubber seal strip against the inner side of the door mounting base when the cover is installed. However, this assembly provides no indication to an installer when a wire has been trapped around a locking tab or when one or more of the locks have failed to engage during installation.
What's needed is a wire bundle routing assembly and installation method that can provide an indication to an installer that a wire has been improperly routed and trapped around a locking tab or that one or more of the locks failed to fully engage during installation.